ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of clinical experience level on the shade matching accuracy in different dental occupational groups.Materials and methodsA total of 80 participants, assigned to one of four groups depending on the level of their clinical experience in shade matching: dental technicians (DTs), residents in prosthodontics (RPs), specialists in prosthodontics (SPs) and dental students (DSs) took part in the study. They were asked to use Tooth guide Training Box (TTB) and determine 15 standardized shade tabs using VITA 3D-Master shade guide. The number of mistakes in final test for each participant was recorded and accuracy was calculated. Color difference (ΔE) values for each shade were calculated from L*, a* and b* values. Differences in accuracy, mean ΔE values and mean error ΔE values between four different groups were examined.ResultsNo statistically significant differences were found between the groups regarding accuracy and mean ΔE values (p>0.05). The accuracy rate in four groups was 0.51±0.20 (DTs), 0,54±0.18 (RPs), 0.49±0.16 (SPs) and 0.55±0.14 (DSs), respectively. Mean ΔE values were 2.10±0.98 (DTs), 2.18±0.97 (RPs), 2.51±0.97 (SPs) and 2.08±0.86 (DSs), respectively. Regarding mean error ΔE values, DTs made errors with significantly less deviations compared to other groups (p<0.05).ConclusionsThis study has shown that clinical experience is not found to be a significant factor to the shade matching accuracy. With regard to the mean error ΔE values, DTs were more successful in shade matching than other participants.

Anaplazmoza je vektorski prenosiva zoonoza koja ima javnozdravstveno značenje i koja se svrstava u skupinu emergentnih bolesti. Prouzročena je vrstom Anaplasma phagocytophilum, a prenosi se preko krpelja. Dokazana je u 39 zemalja svijeta kao i u Hrvatskoj te je uz babeziozu najprisutnija bolest koju prenose krpelji, a izaziva i velike ekonomske gubitke. Utvrđena zemljopisna rasprostranjenost A. phagocytophilum obuhvaća Ameriku, Europu, Afriku i Aziju. Međutim, oboljenja ljudi uglavnom se javljaju u Sjevernoj Americi, dok se u Europi i Aziji rijetko prijavljuju. Epidemiološke studije u Europi sugeriraju povećani profesionalni rizik od infekcije za radnike u šumarstvu, lovce, veterinare i poljoprivrednike koji imaju povijest uboda krpelja, a žive u endemskim područjima. Zbog toga anaplazmoza predstavlja javnozdravstveni problem. Iako je ukupna genetska raznolikost A. phagocytophilum u Europi veća nego u SAD-u, sojevi odgovorni za infekciju ljudi srodni su na oba kontinenta. Genetska varijabilnost i procjena razlike patogenosti i infektivnosti između sojeva za različite domaćine do danas nisu dovoljno istraženi. Međutim, iako je broj radova koji opisuju genetsku varijabilnost anaplazme sve veći, još uvijek je nedovoljno podataka za razumijevaAnaplazmoza je vektorski prenosiva zoonoza koja ima javnozdravstveno značenje i koja se svrstava u skupinu emergentnih bolesti. Prouzročena je vrstom Anaplasma phagocytophilum, a prenosi se preko krpelja. Dokazana je u 39 zemalja svijeta kao i u Hrvatskoj te je uz babeziozu najprisutnija bolest koju prenose krpelji, a izaziva i velike ekonomske gubitke. Utvrđena zemljopisna rasprostranjenost A. phagocytophilum obuhvaća Ameriku, Europu, Afriku i Aziju. Međutim, oboljenja ljudi uglavnom se javljaju u Sjevernoj Americi, dok se u Europi i Aziji rijetko prijavljuju. Epidemiološke studije u Europi sugeriraju povećani profesionalni rizik od infekcije za radnike u šumarstvu, lovce, veterinare i poljoprivrednike koji imaju povijest uboda krpelja, a žive u endemskim područjima. Zbog toga anaplazmoza predstavlja javnozdravstveni problem. Iako je ukupna genetska raznolikost A. phagocytophilum u Europi veća nego u SAD-u, sojevi odgovorni za infekciju ljudi srodni su na oba kontinenta. Genetska varijabilnost i procjena razlike patogenosti i infektivnosti između sojeva za različite domaćine do danas nisu dovoljno istraženi. Međutim, iako je broj radova koji opisuju genetsku varijabilnost anaplazme sve veći, još uvijek je nedovoljno podataka za razumijevanje geografske distribucije i prijemljivosti domaćina na pojedine sojeve, a nedovoljno je istražena i povezanost patogenosti i infektivnosti sojeva za različite vrste domaćina. U Hrvatskoj postoji veći broj radova koji se bave istraživanjima bolesti koje se prenose vektorima i uglavnom usmjerena na istraživanja domaćih životinja, poglavito pasa, dok je populacija divljih životinja, uključujući divlje kanide, još uvijek nedovoljno istražena. Radi toga su potrebne daljnje studije da bi se utvrdila prevalencija i distribucija A. phagocytophilum kao vektorski prenosivog uzročnika u divljih kanida i njihovih ektoparazita.nje geografske distribucije i prijemljivosti domaćina na pojedine sojeve, a nedovoljno je istražena i povezanost patogenosti i infektivnosti sojeva za različite vrste domaćina. U Hrvatskoj postoji veći broj radova koji se bave istraživanjima bolesti koje se prenose vektorima i uglavnom usmjerena na istraživanja domaćih životinja, poglavito pasa, dok je populacija divljih životinja, uključujući divlje kanide, još uvijek nedovoljno istražena. Radi toga su potrebne daljnje studije da bi se utvrdila prevalencija i distribucija A. phagocytophilum kao vektorski prenosivog uzročnika u divljih kanida i njihovih ektoparazita.

Patients with total edentulism can be treated with fixed or mo- bile prosthetic implant rehabilitation with dental implants as part of implanto-prosthetic therapy. Of the three dental implant loading options/protocols (conventional, early loading, and im- mediate loading), removable prosthetic works are most often conventionally loaded and then they represent standard and reliable forms (with a high success rate) of implanto-prosthetic therapy.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate shade matching ability of dental professionals and students using the VITA 3D-Master shade guide. Materials and methods: A hundred and twenty participants have been assigned to one of four groups as follows: specialists in prosthodontics (SPs), residents in prosthodontics (RPs), dental technicians (DTs) and dental students (DSs). The Toothguide Training Box (TTB) was used to test the participants’ shade-matching ability based on using 3 exercises and a final test. The mistakes were recorded during the exercises and mistake ratios (MR) were calculated. Time, scores, and color difference values (ΔE) were recorded and calculated. The one-way ANOVA was used to analyze the differences, and multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship in mean MRs, time, score and ΔE values between the groups. Results: Male participants needed significantly greater amount of time than females to complete the final test (P<0.05). Male SPs achieved a significantly lower percentage of mistake ratios in second exercise than RPs (P<0.05), needed significantly less time than DSs to complete the final test and achieved significantly higher scores than RPs (P<0.05). Female SPs assessed the highest and DSs and RPs the lowest color differences (P<0.05). The results obtained from the exercises and final tests highly affected the amount of estimated color difference in both male and female groups (by 78% and 76%, respectively). Conclusions: Within the population tested, gender of the participants showed a significant impact on quality of shade matching of dental professionals and students.

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to detect the presence of maedi visna virus (MVV) infections in sheep in three counties in southwestern Croatia: Istria County, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and Lika-Senj County, and to estimate the influence of geographical location, breed, age and gender as risk factors on the prevalence rate. A total of 460 randomly selected sheep were tested using a commercially available ID Screen® MVV/CAEV Indirect screening test, VISNAS-5P (ID.VET, Grabels France) for detection of antibodies against the Maedi-Visna virus. The prevalence rate for the entire population was 10.00 % (95 % 7.26 - 12.74 %), The highest seroprevalence of MVV was found in Istria County (19.02%, CI 95% 13.35 –24.70%), followed by Lika-Senj County (5.43 %, CI 95 % 2.17- 8.70) and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (1.07 %, CI 95 % -1.03 – 3.17) (P<0.01). When comparing the seroprevalence among breeds, statistically significant differences were observed. The largest number of positive sheep was found in the following breeds: Istrian Pramenka (22.97%, CI 95% 13.39 - 32.55%), Jezersko-Solcava sheep (23.53%, CI 95% 11.89 - 35.17%%), Pramenka (13.16%, CI 95% 2.41 - 23.91%) and Lika sheep (9.78%, CI 95% 3.71- 15.85%). Prevalence rates in other examined breeds (Krk sheep, Pag sheep and Romanov sheep) were lower than 2 % (P<0.01). No statistically significant differences in seroprevalence between sex and age were found. According to risk estimation, the main risk factors were found to be geographical location and breed. In Istria County, seroprevalence was 4.77 ( CI 95 % 2.67 – 8.54) higher than in other examined areas (OR = 5.66, CI 95 % 2.97-10.79) (P<0.01). As for breeds, significant differences were observed between Jezersko-Solcava sheep and Lika sheep (OR = 2.84, CI 95% 1.13-7.14) and Istrian Pramenka in relation to Pag sheep (OR 22.51,, CI 95% 16.99-119.73), Krk sheep (OR 19.53, CI 95% 5.80-108.27), and Lika sheep (OR 2.35, CI 95% 1.17-6.47). This cross-section study indicates the circulation of MVV in this sheep population in Croatia, and represents the first research into the risk factors for MVV in sheep in southwestern Croatia.